If the UK has a zero tariff trade agreement with the EU, exporters may need to prove that their products are of UK origin.

Certificates of Origin are used to prove the origin of goods in order to determine the amount of duty to be levied on importation.

Mike Court, International Trade Compliance Specialist takes a look at what you will need to know…

After 1st January 2020 they will be necessary to prevent a country without a trade deal with the EU from accessing the EU market via the UK or the UK market via the EU. Full, costed bills of materials and suppliers’ declarations will be required as supporting evidence for product origin.

At present some exporters can use a self-declaration on low value shipments, some if they hold Approved Exporter (AE) status can self-declare their origin of products. However, until the trade agreements are finalised this process is not certain to continue.

Certificates of origin are initially provided by local Chambers of Commerce and can be obtained in a number of ways:

Certificates of Origin can be obtained;

On a case-by-case basis
In batches
Online using an electronic tool

You can visit the British Chambers of Commerce website to learn more and download a handy Brexit Checklist

Additionally, businesses can access an online tool which gives online authorisation of certificates of origin.

Go to www.ecert.sgs.com/uk/ to learn more.

Once on this site, the user will be able to:

Create an account and login
Create an online, electronic document
Get it Electronically stamped for printing off at your premises

In conclusion, until the UK and EU Governments conclude arrangements, it’s unclear as to the precise steps exporters will need to take in relation to proof of origin.

We recommend that UK exporters keep updated using www.gov.uk

International Trade Matters can help importers and exporters to understand and comply throughout the UK’s Brexit transition and beyond through a range of training courses, audits and direct engagement.